Railroad-rail.



J. A. KLINE.

RAILROAD RAIL. I APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1911.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

win/1 [1 766, INVENTOR,

J. A. KLINE.

RAILROAD RAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 14, 1911.

' Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WI T NESSES Manx/m7? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, u. C

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JOHN ANDREW KIJINE, 0F READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-RAIL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. KLINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Railroad-Rail, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to railway rails and particularly to that class,known as compound rails, wherein the rail is made up of severalsections, which are caused to break joints with each other; and itsprincipal object is to provide a continuous tread upon which the wheelstravel, so as to reduce to a minimum the jars produced by the passage ofthe wheels over the transverse joints of the rails.

Another object is to provide a rail composed of three members, a centralmember and two side members, each constructed with a tread and a baseflange, the base flanges of the two side members being supported on thebase flange of the central member, the latter being provided with anupstanding rib, which with the web of the central member provides a seatfor the flanges of the side members.

Another object is to provide the sections with peculiarly constructedbolt openings formed in pairs and at regular intervals to permit themembers to creep or shift longitudinally and thus compensate for thelengthwise expansion and contraction of the metal.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, similar figures of reference being used to indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a rail section, constructed in accordance withthls invention. Flg. 2 1s a top plan view of a Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 14, 1911.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Serial No. 638,549.

part of a rail showing the location of the several sections or membersforming the rail. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the sidemembers. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the central member, showing theribs at the outer edges of the base flange. Fig. 5 is a verticalsectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectionalview taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken onthe line 77 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken onthe line 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the nut lockingplate.

The improved compound rail comprises three members of substantially thesame length and material, to-wit: central 'supporting member 10 and twolateral or side members 11 and 12, each of said members beingconstructed with a tread, a web and a base flange.

The central member 10 is provided with an upstanding web 13, the upperhorizontal edge of which provides a tread portion for this member of therail, and the lower edge merging into a base flange 14, extending atright angles at each side of the web, said base flange being providedalong its outer edges with a longitudinal upstanding rib 15. This ribmayeither be continuous or it may be broken at intervals forming lugs. Theweb 13 is provided at suitable intervals with horizontally arrangedcircular bolt openings 16. The web rises from the base flange at thecenter thereof, so that the two halves of the base flange are equal inwidth.

The side members are duplicates, and hence a description of one willsuflice for both. Each of the side members is nearly a half longitudinalsection of the rail now universally in use. It comprises a web 17provided at its inner edge with a head or tread portion 18, and at itslower edge with a reduced base flange 19 of a width equal to thedistance between the web 13 of the central member and the rib 15 at theouter edge of the base flange 14. The head or tread portion and baseflange of the side member both extend from the outer side of the web 17.The inner face of the web 17 of the side member is provided with arecess 20.

The ends of the tread portions of the rail members are beveled as shownin Figs. 3 and 4, the end of the tread of the central member beingbeveled downwardly as at 21,

and the treads of the side members at their ends being chamfered fromtheir inner sides as at 22.

The webs 17 of the side members are provided with horizontally disposedoblong bolt openings 23, which are so positioned that when the membersof the rail are assembled, the openings of the side members are inalinement with the openings 16 in the central members. In constructing arailway track composed of this type of rail, it is necessary to firstlay the central member 10 on the ties to provide a seat for the sidemembers; then place at each side of the central member a side member,with the recess 20 next to the web 13 of the central member, and seatingthe base flanges of the side members in the recesses provided by theupstanding ribs 15 and the web 13 of the central member. Thus it will beseen that each side member is supported by and upon the base flange ofthe central member. The side members are so positioned with relation tothe central member as to dispose their ends at different points alongthe length of the central members, thereby breaking joints with eachother, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and thus strengthening the rail at thejoints. By positioning the members in the manner explained and shownthere is at every joint, two unbroken sections of the rail. As soon asone section of the track is formed by assembling the rail members, it isonly neces sary to join other corresponding sect-ions to the ends of thesections already assembled. It will be plainly seen that in actualoperation the wheel always rests upon the three members of the rail.

The sections are secured together by bolts 2t adapted to extend throughthe openings 16 and 23 and provided at their threaded ends with nuts 25.The bolts are arranged in pairs, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and S, and areinserted one from either side of the rail.

A nut lock 26 is provided for precluding the nuts 25 on the ends of thebolts 24 from working loose after the rail is assembled. The lockcomprises a plate of sheet metal substantially oblong in shape andprovided at one end with cars 27 and 28, extending from the top edge andend of said plate. The plate is also providedwith two bolt openings 29and 30, the opening 29 being circular in form and arranged immediatelybelow the car 27 and at one side of the ear 28, and the opening 30 beingsubstantially square and arranged at the opposite end of the plate fromopening 29. The bolt 24!: is inserted through the opening 30, thesquared collar of said bolt engaging the sides of the opening. By soarranging the locking plates and inserting the bolts, one from eitherside of the rail, a nut locking plate is provided between each bolt headand rail and between each nut and rail. hen the nut 25 is properlyadjusted, the ends 27 and 28 of the plate 26 are bent at right anglesover the sides of the nut, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and thus preventthe nut from working loose. The circular bolt openings 16 in the centralmember and the oblong or elliptical bolt opening 23 in the side memberspermit the longitudinal adjustment of the several members of the rail,thus providing for the expansion and contraction of the members. At eachjoint of the side members I provide a fish plate 31 for strengtheningthe same.

It will be noted that the base flange of the central. member is of awidth to receive the base flanges of the side members, so that the baseflange of the central members rests upon the tie, while the base flangesof the side members rest upon the base flange of the central member. Sofar as I am aware this arrangement is new.

My rail can be used with the ordinary rail and connected thereto at anypoint of the line of track by cutting off the sections or members even.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a rail of the class described, the combination of a central membercomprising a web, a tread, and a base flange, side members arranged oneach side of the web of said central member and comprising a tread, aweb, and a base flange, the base flanges of the side members restingupon and supported by the base flange of the central member.

2. In a rail of the class described, the combination of a central membercomprising a tread, a web, and a base flange, the latter having anupstanding rib at the outer edges of said base flange, with side membersadapted to fit on each side of said central member, said side memberseach comprising a tread, a web, and a base flange, the base flanges ofthe side members being adapted to rest upon the base flange of saidcentral member between the web and the upstanding rib.

3. A rail of the class described consisting of three sections ofapproximately the same length, a central member having a tread, a web,and a base flange, and duplicate side members each having a tread, aweb, and a base flange, said side members being adapted to rest upon thebase flange of the central member, the ends of the several members beingpositioned relatively to each other when connected so as to breakjointsthroughout the length of the rail.

4. In a compound rail, the central member composed of a web ofsubstantially the same diameter throughout, with a base flange formedintegral with the web, the upper edge of the web constituting thecentral tread surface of the rail, the side members, duplicate inconstruction so as to be interchangeable, each side member beingcomposed of a tread, a web, and a base flange, the treads of the sidemembers with the upper edge of the Web of the central member completingthe tread of the rail, and the base flanges of the side members restingupon the base flange of the central member.

5. A compound rail composed of three members, a central member and twoduplicate said members arranged at opposite sides of the central member,said side members being interchangeable, and the tread of the rail beingmade up of a part of each of the three members, the three membersbreaking joints with each other throughout the length of the rail.

6. In combination with a central member having circular bolt holes inthe Web thereof, side members placed against the sides of the centralmember and having elliptical bolt holes in the webs thereof, saidelliptical bolt holes of the side members being in register with thecircular bolt holes of the central member, the upper parts of thecentral and side members forming in conjunction the tread of the rail,and bolts having their intermediate portions fitted snugly within thecircular bolt holes of the central member and their ends passed throughthe elliptical bolt holes of the side members, whereby all the membersmay have relative sliding movement on each other to compensate forcontraction and expansion.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ANDREW KLINE.

Witnesses:

D. V. R. LUDWIG, HEBER S. KLINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.

